1926

CONVENTION BETWEEN ERANCE AND CHINA
Signed at Peking, 25th October, 1860
His Majesty the Emperor of the French and His Majesty the Emperor of China
heing desirous to put an end to the difference which lias arisen between the two
Empires, and to re-establish and assure for ever the relations of peace and amity which
before existed and which regrettable events have interrupted, have named as their
respective Plenipotentiaries:—
His Majesty the Emperor of the French, Sieur Jean Baptiste Louis, Baron Gros,
Senator of the Empire, Ambassador and High Commissioner of France in China,
Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour, Knight Grand Cross
of several Orders, etc., etc., etc.;
And His Majesty the Emperor of China, Prince, Kung, a member of the Imperial
Family and High Commissioner; .
Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have
agreed upon the following Articles : —
Art. I.—His Majesty the Emperor of China has regarded with pain the conduct
•of the Chinese military authorities at the mouth of the Tientsin river, in the month of
June last year, when the Minsters Plenipotentiary of France and England arrived
there on their way to Peking to exchange the ratifications of the Treaties of Tientsin.
Art. II.—When the Ambassador, the High Commissioner of His Majesty the
Emperor of the French, shall be in Peking for the purpose of exchanging the ratifica¬
tions of the Treaty of Tientsin, he shall be treated during his stay in the capital with
the honours due to his rank, and all possible facilities shall be given him by the
•Chinese Authorities in order that he may without obstacle fulfil the high mission
confided to him.
Art. III.—The Treaty signed at Tientsin on the 27th June, 1858, shall be faith¬
fully placed in execution in all its clauses immediately after the exchange of the
ratifications referred to in the preceding Article, subject to the modifications introduced
by the present Convention.
Art. IV.—Article IV. of the Secret Treaty of Tientsin, by which His Majesty
the Emperor of China undertook to pay to the French Government an indemnity of
two million Taels, is annulled and replaced by the present Article, which increases
the amount of the indemnity to eight million Taels.
It is agreed that the sum alerady paid by the Canton Customs on account of the
sum of two million Taels stipulated by the Treaty of Tientsin shall be considered as
having been paid in advance and on account of the eight million Taels referred to in
the present Article.
The provisions of the Article of the Secret Treaty of Tientsin as to the mode of
payment of the two million Taels are annulled. Payment of the remainder of the sum
of eight million taels to be paid by the Chinese Government as provided by the present
Convention shall be made in quarterly instalments consisting of one-fifth of the gross
Customs revenues at the ports open to foreign trade, the first term commencing on
the 1st October of the present year, and finishing on the 31st December following.
This sum, specially reserved for the payment of the indemnity due to France, shall
be paid into the hands of the Minister for France or of his delegates in Mexican
dollars or in bar silver at the rate of the day of payment.